Rich Sister Paid a Dollar for My Funeral

It's been three years since my heiress sister, Zoey Hudson, blocked me. She donates one dollar to my RainDrop Fund campaign and leaves a comment dripping with mockery. "Lung cancer, huh? Let me know when you're really dead. I'll throw a party." Three years ago, Andrew Lane—the needy student she's been sponsoring—accuses me of stealing his college admission spot. Zoey flies into a rage and has me pulled out of school on the spot. "Even if you couldn't get into college on your own, I would still have your back," she snaps. "But stealing someone else's spot? That has to be punished." We have a massive fight that ends with her coldly kicking me out of the house. "Come back when you realize what you did wrong. I refuse to believe I can't fix that rotten attitude of yours!" Since then, she has treated that needy student like a prince. As for me? She makes sure I lose every single job I land, until my only way to survive is picking through trash. I stare at her comment blankly for a long while before calling a cemetery plot salesman. "Please hold the cheapest one for me. I'll send you the deposit tomorrow." The single dollar Zoey donated is just enough to hit the withdrawal threshold. I'll give her exactly what she asked for. Chapter 1 "Look, you'd better hurry. You know how fast plots go these days," the cemetery plot salesman said over the phone, sighing. His meaning was obvious—until he saw the money, nothing was official. I understood why he was pushing me. Over the past year, I'd looked at cemetery plots several times but could never bring myself to reserve one. They were simply too expensive. Between my medication and treatments, I had barely anything left. So every once in a while, I'd go back to see if any cheaper plots had opened up for me to snatch. Every time the salesman asked which one I wanted, I could only mumble awkwardly, "Never mind. I'll bring my family next time." But this time, my voice was steady. "Don't worry. I'm actually buying it." After hanging up, I switched my screen back to the RainDrop Fund page. In the sea of comments wishing me a speedy recovery, one stood out. It was from my sister, Zoey Hudson. "Lung cancer, huh? Let me know when you're really dead. I'll throw a party." I read it over and over, still unable to believe those words had come from my own sister. Yet, thanks to the dollar she'd donated, my balance had finally reached an even 10,000 dollars, making it eligible for withdrawal. I pressed my lips together bitterly and was just about to tap the withdrawal button when a new donation and comment suddenly popped up. It was from Andrew Lane, the needy student Zoey had sponsored. He'd donated one cent and left a comment. "Chase, come home. As long as you apologize properly, Zoey will forgive you. Don't fake something like this again." My fingers tightened around my phone. But after a moment, I said nothing and submitted the withdrawal. Peanut, the stray cat I'd taken in, seemed to sense something was off with me and kept rubbing against my feet. I crouched down to pat his head, then poured the last of the cat food into his bowl, filling it to the brim. He immediately limped over and started eating. He was a disabled cat with a badly broken leg. As he ate, he kept glancing back at me. When I met those pleading eyes, my own stung with tears. I felt like I was right back on the night Zoey kicked me out of the house. I could still hear her disgusted voice, cold enough to cut to the bone. "If you won't admit you were wrong, then get out. I don't want you anymore!" Chapter 2 Three years ago, Andrew had barely handed over his college admission spot to me before he turned around and told Zoey I'd bribed a teacher to steal it from him. He put his entire future on the line, betting that Zoey would blow up. The only teacher who could have vouched for me had retired and was traveling abroad. No one could reach him. Andrew had timed it perfectly, and his bet paid off. Zoey flew into a rage, refused to hear a single word of my explanation, and had me pulled out of school on the spot. I broke down, and we had a massive fight that ended with her slapping me hard across the face. "Chase Hudson, you've never wanted for anything a day in your life," she snapped. "Did you really have to steal? Andrew clawed his way up from nothing. Do you have any idea what that spot meant to him?" When she ordered me to apologize to Andrew, I refused, stubbornly insisting that I had done nothing wrong. So, in the end, she kicked me out of the house. That day, I just sat outside, waiting for Zoey. I thought she was just angry in the moment, and that she'd call me back inside once she cooled down. But by the next morning, she still hadn't come looking for me. Just as I gave up and was about to leave, I saw a man walk out carrying a cat. The cat, its leg broken, was thrown hard to the ground and let out a shrill, miserable yowl. The man's face was twisted with disgust. The way he looked at that cat was exactly the way Zoey had looked at me. "Stupidest cat I've ever seen," he barked. "Climbed a tree and still managed to break its own leg. Get out. I don't want you anymore!" My eyes snapped to him. For a split second, his voice overlapped with Zoey's. When I snapped out of it, I rushed over and scooped up the dying kitten. Only then did I realize his leg hadn't been broken in a fall—someone had deliberately snapped it. I wanted to confront the man, but he'd already gone back inside and shut the door. That was the moment reality finally sank in. That cat was just like me. It didn't matter whether we'd done anything wrong or not. If someone wanted to toss us aside, they would. They didn't even need a reason. Just like that, I took the kitten in and named him Peanut. Over the next three years, Zoey sabotaged me every chance she got, both openly and behind my back. She ruined every job I found, until my only means of survival was picking through trash. Peanut's life sank right along with mine. The places we lived got smaller and smaller; the cat food I could afford got cheaper and cheaper. I posted an adoption listing online. I had already decided that the money from the RainDrop Fund would go toward a cemetery plot instead of treatment. Since my illness couldn't be cured anyway, I figured I might as well die the way Zoey wanted. Still, I had to find a good owner for Peanut. He had to live a good life in my place. What I didn't expect was a call from RainDrop Fund's customer service two hours later. "Is this Chase Hudson?" the representative asked. "The fundraising campaign you created on our platform has been reported for suspected fraud, so your withdrawal has been rejected." Then she dropped the bombshell. "The person who reported you was your sister, Zoey Hudson." Chapter 3 A boom went off in my head, like fireworks exploding inside my skull and blasting my mind blank. "Who did you say it was? Zoey Hudson?" I demanded. "Yes. She provided proof of her relationship to you and reported that your medical records are fake. Our platform is currently verifying the claim. Until the information is confirmed, the donations you've raised cannot be withdrawn." I could hardly believe it. It felt like being plunged into ice water. "My medical records came from a top-tier hospital. There's no way they're fake!" I blurted out. "She has a grudge against me. She can't wait for me to die—" "Please calm down, sir," the representative cut me off, then repeated, "We're verifying it now, so don't worry. Once we confirm everything is real, the funds will be released to your card right away." My whole body was shaking, but I knew there was no point in arguing with customer service. As soon as I hung up, I called Zoey, realizing that at some point, she'd unblocked me. The second the call connected, I shouted, "Zoey Hudson! Why did you tell the RainDrop Fund I was faking my illness? Do you have any idea—" "Aren't you?" Zoey cut me off, her tone as casual as anything. There was even a hint of amusement in her voice. "Chase, I know how stubborn you are. You can't bring yourself to come home, so you're pulling this stunt to make me cave first." "How about this?" she went on, sounding magnanimous. "Come home and apologize, and I'll pretend none of it ever happened." Her voice continued in my ear, but all I could feel was my heart sinking like a stone straight into a well. So that was the kind of person I was in her eyes. I tightened my grip on my phone, suddenly at a complete loss for words. In the silence, Andrew's voice drifted through the line. "Zoey, is that Chase? Just let him come home. Honestly, I stopped blaming him for what happened three years ago." Zoey's tone hardened. "I know you're the bigger person here, but Chase needs to understand what he did wrong. He's my brother, and I won't let him get away with behavior like this." Though the words were spoken to Andrew, I knew they were meant for me. A cold laugh escaped me. Then, slow and deliberate, I said, "Zoey, I did nothing wrong. He framed me. And I'm not faking anything now. Every single one of my medical records came from a top-tier hospital." Refusing to give in, I added, "I will never apologize. Even if I die, I won't admit to something I never did!" "You—" Before she could get another word out, I hung up. When she immediately tried calling back, I simply ignored it. The sudden flare of emotion was too much. My chest heaved as a sharp pain spasmed through my lungs. A moment later, a text from Zoey came through. "Chase, I'm very disappointed in you." Chapter 4 I didn't sleep that night. It felt like countless tiny needles were piercing my lungs. Every breath hurt so much I could barely stand it. My prescription painkillers had run out long ago, so I just held Peanut in my arms and white-knuckled it through the night. When dawn finally broke, I got another call from the RainDrop Fund. "Mr. Hudson, our platform requires you to undergo another round of testing and submit an updated medical report." "What if I don't?" I asked listlessly. "For a disputed fundraising campaign like this, if you refuse to cooperate, the funds will be returned to the donors." "Then return them. Sorry for the trouble." My voice came out flat, and I hung up. I didn't have the money for more tests anyway. If I couldn't get that 10,000 dollars, then so be it. Peanut burrowed closer into my arms. I managed a weak smile. "Hungry? I'll go collect some bottles and buy you food, okay?" He couldn't understand me. He just purred and tilted his little head. I washed up, grabbed my sack, and headed out. To save on rent, I lived on the edge of town. The local seniors already had a monopoly on the cardboard and bottles in the neighborhood, so I had to head toward the downtown shopping malls. There were more wealthy people there. Their empty bottles were worth more, and they were usually easier to approach. If I politely asked if they needed help throwing away their trash, they'd hand over their empties. … Two hours later, my sack was half full. I was heading toward another mall when a sharp, startled voice rang out behind me. "Chase? What are you doing here?" I turned to find Zoey staring at me in shock. Beside her stood Andrew, loaded down with half a dozen luxury shopping bags. They'd clearly just finished a spree. I frowned and turned to walk away. Zoey closed the distance in a few quick strides and grabbed my wrist. "How could you be digging through trash?" Her face darkened as her eyes swept over me from head to toe. When her gaze landed on my washed-out jeans, something complicated flickered in her eyes. Andrew leaned in. "Chase, you really know how to play the victim, don't you? Since when do you scavenge for garbage? Or did you know we were shopping here today and decided to put on a show?" Zoey's expression grew even darker. She grabbed me and dragged me away. "Come home with me!" she snapped. I struggled with everything I had. "Let go of me!" She dragged me into a corner, shoved my hand away, and turned on me. "Look at yourself! What do you think you look like? All I asked was for you to apologize, and instead you choose to do this—" "Then what exactly do you want from me?" I looked up, my face blank. "You ruin every single job I find. If I don't dig through trash, what else am I supposed to do?" "Can't you just come home?" she snapped. "You know all you have to do is apologize and I'll forgive you. Is that so hard?" I looked at her with an ironic smile. "You just think I'm an embarrassment, don't you?" She opened her mouth to speak, but Andrew suddenly cut in. "Chase, seriously… you smell. Don't you notice it?" Before I could say anything, he added, "You need to practice some basic hygiene. You're still part of the Hudson family. You should at least think about Zoey's reputation." I looked over and met his taunting gaze. The needling pain started stabbing through my lungs again. "You're the one who's part of the Hudson family now. Not me." I threw down those words, turned, and walked away. Behind me, Zoey's voice turned ice-cold. "Chase, you're still refusing to admit you're wrong? Fine. Don't regret this!" I pretended not to hear her and quickened my pace. That day, I couldn't sell the bottles and cardboard I'd managed to gather. The owner of the recycling station sighed. "Look, some big shot named Hudson put the word out. No one in Seaville is allowed to take your recyclables." He waved me away. "Don't blame me. I've got to make a living in Seaville too. A big shot like that has too much money and power. I can't afford to cross her." Chapter 5 I didn't bother arguing or pleading. I just nodded, hoisted the sack of recyclables onto my shoulder, and walked home. That was the day Peanut left me too. A young woman named Bonnie Anderson didn't mind that Peanut had a broken leg. She'd driven two hours just to pick him up. Peanut had a new home and a new person to love him now. It was something I should have been happy about. But when I handed him over to Bonnie, something came over me. For no reason at all, tears started streaming down my face. Bonnie panicked. "Are you… Are you sad to let Peanut go? Don't worry. I'll take good care of him." I wanted to tell her that wasn't it. I wanted to tell her I was dying, and that Peanut could only have a good life with someone else. But the words caught in my throat, refusing to come out. Bonnie asked with concern, "You look really pale. Do you need to go to the hospital?" I shook my head. I didn't need a hospital. The only place I was going was hell. Grief, resentment, heartbreak… emotions I couldn't even name closed in around me. Peanut kept meowing, and every sound made me feel worse. All I could do was turn my back on them. "Please go. Hurry." Bonnie promised me again. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of Peanut!" With that, she carried him away. I collapsed onto the couch, feeling like my soul had been ripped straight out of my body. But a few hours later, Bonnie called. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "Peanut ran into the road and got hit by a car. The driver paid 2,000 dollars in compensation. I thought I should tell you. I'll transfer the money to you." The moment the news hit, my heart seemed to stop for several seconds—like the floor had dropped out from under me. When I finally snapped out of it, I had coughed up a mouthful of blood. As soon as the call ended, a notification popped up showing a successful transfer of 2,000 dollars, followed by a photo. Peanut was a bloody mess, lying on the road like a mangled clump of mud. He hadn't just been hit. He'd been deliberately run over. I didn't even bother wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth. With trembling hands, I zoomed in on the photo. That car… That was Andrew's car. There was no mistaking it. Zoey had bought it for him. Bonnie sent text after text, apologizing. I didn't read a single word. I just slowly stood up. Then, expressionless, I went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and headed straight for Zoey's place. Chapter 6 When I burst into Zoey's place, she and Andrew were having dinner. Without a word, I raised the knife and swung it straight at Andrew. Andrew flinched and scrambled out of the way. Zoey caught my wrist in a vise grip, her face darker with rage than I'd ever seen it. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. I pulled out my phone and shoved the photo at her, then gritted out, "Your precious brother ran over my cat. With that kind of impact, he obviously did it on purpose! I didn't want to keep dragging up the past, but this? I can't take it!" Andrew shifted uncomfortably. "I… I didn't mean to. I paid compensation. I'm sorry, Chase—" "You think an apology fixes this? Andrew Lane, haven't the last three years been miserable enough for me? You couldn't even spare a cat? Are you even human?" I screamed until my voice went raw, hating him so much I wanted to hack him to death right then and there. Zoey's brows knit together. "It was just a cat. Do you really have to go this far? Andrew paid and apologized. That's more than you've ever done, isn't it? You still haven't given us an explanation for what happened three years ago." "I told you I never stole his spot! What part of that don't you understand?" I shouted. I couldn't hold it in anymore. Three years of bottled-up emotions came flooding back like a tidal wave. "I'm your real brother! Why won't you believe me? Would you finally be happy if I dropped dead right now?" Watching me come apart, Zoey's eyes filled with disappointment. "You're impossible to reason with!" Andrew stepped closer. "Chase, I was wrong. I really didn't mean to. What do I have to do for you to forgive me—" A sharp crack cut him off. Before he could finish, my fist smashed into his face. He froze, staring at me in disbelief. Zoey's eyes turned ice-cold the moment she saw me hit him. "Looks like you haven't grown up at all these past three years." She lashed out, striking back for Andrew. My head snapped to the side, and my ears rang. She looked down at her own hand and said in frustration, "You forced me to do that!" The slap landed on my face, but it felt like she'd struck me straight in the heart. Zoey had snapped the already fragile bond between us. Before, I could still hate her. Now, there was nothing left. I fought down the blood surging up my throat and said mockingly, "You can throw your party now." With that, I wiped my face roughly and walked away. "What party? Explain yourself!" I'd only taken a couple of steps when she reached for me again. I hurled my phone at her with everything I had. "Get lost!" She stood frozen, staring after me at a loss. This time, she didn't come charging after me. After leaving Zoey's place, I went straight to a pedestrian overpass and climbed step by step to the highest point. Looking down at the traffic rushing beneath me, my gaze steadied. I wanted to be free. … That night was never going to be peaceful. Not long after I left, the phone I'd left behind at Zoey's place started ringing. She looked at it lying on the floor, its cracked screen visible. Without thinking, she picked it up and answered. The cemetery plot salesman's helpless voice came through the line. "Chase, you've pushed this off another day. I didn't press you before because I knew you had lung cancer. But I really can't hold the plot for you any longer. Someone else already paid in full."